FFSS and Shaded Dog questions??
mei...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
What are London FFSS records? I have heard of FFRR (although not understanding
it either).
Please explain it in simple, plain English since I am a newbie in record buying
(not collecting!)
Well, since I am here.. please also explain the "physical attributes" of a
real "shaded dog" LP. What's the difference between a SD and a Red Seal ?
Thanks!!!
Chin/Ks.
Radio905
Sterophonic Sound."
The Shaded Dog logo was the Label printing on the early stereo RCA
releases in the United States ("Living Stereo"). The term Shaded dog
refers to the fact that the dog has shading on it and the background is
slightly darker than the rest of the red label. Later, RCA changed their
label to a red label with a much whiter (less shaded) dog. Even later,
RCA changed their logo and went to a red label with large "RCA" logo and
no dog.
SD = Shaded dog
WD = White dog
ND = No dog
John F. Berky WPKT-90.5FM, Meriden
Connecticut Public Radio WNPR-89.1FM, Norwich
P.O. Box 260240 WEDW-88.5FM, Stamford
Hartford, CT 06126-0240
Ronald Bensley
frequency stereophonic sound). The late 50s-early 60s pressings had blue
album jackets - later repressings had white back covers. Later
repressings of these releases (even under the identical catalog number)
were designated FFRR (the ffss designation was dropped).
Specialist audiophiles specifically seek out the FFSS "blue back"
pressings because these had exceptional sound quality. Later pressings
(without the blue-back album covers and the "ffss" note) don't quite
capture the remarkable tonal characteristics and spatial definition of
the original FFSS Blue Backs.
RCA's Living Stereo releases (that is, the titles recorded from 1954-62
using minimal microphoning and marked as "Stereo-Orthophonic High
Fidelity") varied in sound quality depending on pressing. The earliest
stereo LP pressings, from 1958-62, not only had the "Little Nipper" on
the album label but a shading separating the "red seal" from the picture
of the dog. The "Shaded Dog" pressings utilized better quality disc
mastering and pressing than later issues (even under identical catalog
numbers).
Hope this helps! Ron huc...@prodigy.com
William J. Karzas
FFRR was Decca/London's logo "full frequency range recording" for the postwar
(50's) 78 and then Lp. When stereo lp's came out they used "full frequency stereo sound".
On RCA classical recordings were generally called "Red Seal". The "Nipper" logo (dog listening to his master's voice on the horn) was on the earliest stereo lp's superimposed on a somewhat darkened portion of the red label. Later the shading disappeared, and even later so did the dog. RCA (VIctor) used LM for its mono lp's and LSC for the stereos. Some specisal series were produced by Dario Soria (of earlier Cetra-Soria) and given the LSD designation. I think my memory is accurate, but I'll take corre
ctions.
Bill Karzas
Gene Gaudette
said:
>Specialist audiophiles specifically seek out the FFSS "blue back"
pressings
>because these had exceptional sound quality. Later pressings (without the
>blue-back album covers and the "ffss" note) don't quite capture the
remarkable
>tonal characteristics and spatial definition of the original FFSS Blue
Backs.
and early '80s by Philips in Holland, which had dead-quiet surfaces and
exceptionally true transfers with no filtering, limiting/compression, or
equalization. They blew the Blues away!
Gene
Gene Gaudette
pressing
>than later issues (even under identical catalog numbers).
'70s and early '80s. And the new vinyl pressings from Classic Records are
done superbly---not quite up to the mind-blowing level of RCA's Living
Stereo CDs, but of exceptional quality for vinyl!
Gene
Michael Bell
writes:
>FFSS was London's (Decca in the UK) trademark for "Full Frequency
>Sterophonic Sound."
The FFSS trademark is only on the earliest London (Decca) stereo
recordings. Apparently FFSS(meaning something else) was already being
used by some other non-musical company and so London (Decca) had to stop
using it. They went back to the FFRR trademark. The early pressings of
the FFSS recordings also had blue on the back, hense the name "blueback."
Michael Bell
Charles Ibe
: Hi! Decca/London's initial stereo LP releases were designated FFSS (full
: album jackets - later repressings had white back covers. Later
: repressings of these releases (even under the identical catalog number)
: were designated FFRR (the ffss designation was dropped).
London also had Phase 4 LPs in the late 60's and early 70's. These were
both popular and classical. Once had Holsts The Planets on a Phase 4
pressing that was a excellent recording. I had some later Phase 4's
pressed by Masterdisk (they also press Musical Heritage Society
recordings) but the quality was terrible. There were a lot of audible
pressing defects.
-------
Charles Ibe
mei...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
> In rec.music.classical.recordings HUC...@prodigy.com (Ronald Bensley)
> said:
>
>
> pressings
>>because these had exceptional sound quality. Later pressings (without the
For some unknown reason, the responses to this thread by "Radio905" and "HUCB
46A" did not show up in my newsgroup roster. Could somebody repost the full
text or, better, e-mail to me @ mei...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu?
Thanks.
Ronald Bensley
series from the standard Decca/London FFRR and FFSS recordings.
The PHASE 4 releases were recordings specifically tailored for
sensational hi-fi effects: their producers sought an aggressive,
spectacular quality quite different from the standard releases.
Engineers used heavy multi-miking, dynamic range was manipulated using
gain riding, etc. PHASE 4 releases had different catalog numbers than
the standard Decca/Londons (I recall the prefix SPC, as distinguished
from Decca SXL or London CS).
Artists in the series included Leopold Stokowski, Arthur Fiedler, Stanley
Black, and so forth. Most PHASE 4 albums had "portfolio" jackets, with
generous liner notes and colorful (though flashy) cover designs.
Although some of the PHASE 4 discs have a following, they are NOT the
fabled "London Blueback/London FFSS" discs which some collectors
fanatically seek.
Finally, an earlier correspondent noted that some small specialist
companies are re-issuing London Blueback-era titles on vinyl under
license. Based on reports in the audiophile press, I anticipate these
actually sound better than the originals. Ron Bensley
huc...@prodigy.com